The previous update on July 4, 2024 indicated that 29 First Nations communities still had 31 long-term drinking water advisories. 145 had been lifted. For a complete breakdown on progress since Dec. 23, 2020 see TABLE: Long Term DWAs below under “Government Actions to Improve Drinking Water.
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Drinking Water Class Action LawsuitDec. 23, 2021:APTN – Yesterday, the Federal Court and the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba issued a joint decision approving an agreement to settle class-action litigation related to safe drinking water in First Nations communities. An appeals period of approximately 60 days will follow the courts’ approval of the settlement agreement. The class-action lawsuits could see approximately 142,000 individuals from 258 First Nations compensated, along with 120 First Nations.Other NewsNov. 23, 2023: The Fall Economic Statement from the federal government allocated $1.5B to ensure access to safe drinking water and treated wastewater in First Nations communitiesSept. 29, 2023: The federal government aims to table a bill this fall that would aim to support the development of federal regulations to support First Nations’ access to clean drinking water and the effective treatment of wastewater. The new bill is expected to come more than one year after Canada repealed the 2013 Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act in June 2022.May 5, 2021: Global News – An auditor general report on access to safe drinking water in First Nations (Report 3 “Access to Safe Drinking Water in First Nations Communities— Indigenous Services Canada” released on Feb. 21, 2021 estimates that the federal government would not be able to eliminate all long-term drinking water advisories in First Nations until 2023-24 and that it would take until 2025-26 to ensure long-term solutions for a stable drinking water supply in some of the affected nations. https://www.ourcommons.ca/content/Committee/432/PACP/WebDoc/WD10867510/Action_Plans/DepartmentOfIndigenousServices-e.pdf
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